May 21, 2007

 

India's Punjab's poultry farmers see threat looming

 

 

Poultry farmers in Punjab are protesting the strong support the State Government is giving to the poultry integrators in the state and have expressed fears and doubts about the benefits these giant companies would bring to the state.

 

Punjab is the first state in India to introduce contract farming at the government level.

 

The Amritsar Poultry Industry Association in the Punjab region said the integrators are neither generating new employment nor putting any investment in the state.

 

They also fear that the recently introduced 'Contract Poultry Farming' by the integrators would hurt farmers.

 

The state was once the top in poultry production in India but has since fallen to seventh place.

 

Farmers have blamed this on the unfriendly legislation by the government amid other factors such as bird flu.

 

Integrators such as Suguna Farms, Japfa Feeds, Venky's and Godrej said the aim of the programme was to prepare farmers to cultivate produce based on market demand.

 

On the other hand, poultry associations charge that the companies have convoluted arrangements with clauses heavily favouring the company. In addition, they were mortgaging the land of the farmers, putting the latter at a further disadvantage.

 

The associations also fear that the money generated from the state would be siphoned off by the large companies and would not benefit Punjab.

 

Punjab produces around 80 million broilers a year, with more than half of it exported to Jammu and Kashmir.

 

The state has about 3000 poultry farmers, 20 hatcheries and around 30 feed factories. Poultry associations said those working in the poultry industry would be thrown out of work once the poultry integrators enter the state.